Mourinho does what others could not: what has changed at Real Madrid?

"This man knows what he is doing"

José Mourinho has dragged Real Madrid back into contention by making the hard calls inside the dressing room. Spanish journalist Nacho Peña reckons Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa couldn't pull off that same step, for a variety of reasons.

Peña heaped praise on the Real Madrid boss after the win over Valencia at the Mestalla. The turnaround, he insisted, is down to the Portuguese above all, a coach who seized control of the dressing room and managed his stars through experience, cunning and a knack for the right decision.

Victory lifted Real Madrid up to second in La Liga, beating Valencia 3-0 on Sunday in the 12th round. They now sit level with leaders Barcelona on 30 points, cranking up the pressure on the Catalans ahead of their eagerly awaited meeting with Atlético Madrid (28 points) in the same round tonight.

The website Defensa Central relayed what Peña said on his YouTube channel: "I really believe the credit should go to Jose Mourinho. He came in to make those shocking decisions that not even Carlo Ancelotti made in his fourth season, perhaps out of gratitude to the players after they had won everything, just as Xabi Alonso was unable to do so, perhaps because he did not receive the support, or was not given the opportunity, or because he lacked the necessary flexibility and shrewdness to deal with the situation."

On Arbeloa, he added: "As for Arbeloa, he arrived in very turbulent circumstances, after the season had already become complicated."

Peña went on: "The truth is that none of them was able to steer the ship and take control of the dressing room and manage it, whereas Mourinho succeeds in doing so. He has achieved this thanks to his vast experience, his maturity and his sound decisions."

The Spanish journalist explained that bold tactical calls, when they come off on the pitch, strengthen the players' faith in their coach. Peña pointed to Mourinho's decisions over his starting line-up in the Clasico, saying: "You also earn the respect of the dressing room when you make decisions like choosing the line-up you play the Clasico with, and then everything goes exactly as you planned. That is when the players look at one another and start to think: my God, this man knows what he is doing."

Real Madrid can compete hard on both fronts this season, Peña reckons, challenging in La Liga and the Champions League alike. He believes the side are now built to fight until the end, a clear shift from the past two campaigns.